Prayer is the indispensable element. The air of an abiding life.
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| Heart Seeds from Japan |
To see progress
in the hopes of God's people, cities, nations,
our assignments,
requires prayer,
both corporate and individual.
In the most enduring, abiding,transforming,relationship available to us in the world, a relationship with Jesus Christ (John 17:3)prayer is like air. There is "no breathing without it".
Personally, I see prayer rooting everything of value in the Kingdom of God.
It rooted the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 5:7-9). It appears to be essential to life, hearing and knowing the will of the Father. Jesus is always in prayer. In the Gospels, we see Jesus and his prayer-like walking, breathing and moving in the will of the Father. Essential for him and the apostles he shaped.
A picture I took in Japan in 2016. Heaven kissing the earth!
To be intentionally pursuing an abiding worship-filled life of prayer is one of the clearest assumptions of the New Testament. We are called into a supernatural life and way of living that requires us to know and move about the country of prayer with ever-increasing skill and surrender.
- A life of prayer that actually moves a couple mountains.
- A life of prayer tapping into the miracle reality of a faith that finds itself often confronted by the impossible.
We are called to more than an individual prayer life.
Lost in the playground of Holy Spirit experiences, personal quests and endless encounters that don't translate into any tangible benefit for the Body of Christ, such a personal prayer life cannot be the fullness of the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ on the earth.
Certainly a brick in the roadway of kingdom progress, such wanderings need insight, wisdom and some faith action in the world of love.
If heaven conducted itself in such a way, if the character of God was like this, Jesus would still be in heaven enjoying the beauty of the Father and the fullness of the Trinity for himself. Instead, love compelled him to come down from the Throne of Heaven and lay down his life in love.
I John 3:16
I John 3:16
Prayer is not an individual pursuit in the Kingdom of God.
It is inherently relational - interceding for the Glory of the Lord to be manifest in the hearts and lives of those who love him (Col 1:9f: Ephesians 3:14-21). It is an essential element of individual abiding and practicing the presence of God, but it is not the fullness of Jesus Christ if left on its own.
The revelation of Jesus in his Death, Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father as the High Priest of the Heavenly temple is proof enough that prayer leads us to service, love and sacrifice.
Prayer is also corporate. Centered with the family of believers, each one is called to overcome the world, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, and disciple the Nations. Not an individual mission. A family mission. A mission forged in community, communion, and co-laboring with Jesus and the Saints.
So, yes. I have a few assumptions behind these ideas. They could be called presuppositions. That is ideas usually hidden behind the words we speak or ideas we put forth. They are typically not out as part of the discussion. They do undergird and hold up the ideas we typically put out in front.
Assumption 1
To minister in the way Jesus did, we are most likely required to have the same commitment to prayer he had.
What did that look like?
Hebrews 5:7-9
Cries, tears, reverent submission, suffering, obedience.
All the words we are unfamiliar with. In this way of prayer, we have little experience. In the endurance required for this way, we have little patience.
What does it look like? When these words are applied to prayer? I'm not sure we speak this language very well at all?
This kind of prayer proves itself. Lots of time with the Father in encouragement, insight, and empowerment for the mission of his Father's will. That mission ultimately overcame death.
Imagine. Jesus was a human person in all the ways we are, except for the lack of sin, and he was fully God. The primary means of overcoming, or at least central to his missions victory, was an approach to prayer described by these words, cries, tears, reverent submission, suffering, and obedience.
Can we categorize or characterize our prayer journey with these same words?
So the weaknesses of our lives, the natural and fleshly existence, he understood by experience. He overcame the world (I John 1:1-5) and remained the perfect sinless Lamb. But he experienced the weight, pain, intensity, tears, prayerful cries, of overcoming death just like we do. This "all around us, ever pressing in to inform and teach us", death. The death that fills up minds and hearts. A death even while people live, kind of death.
Jesus experienced the way of the Father's will, right in the middle of the ever-present voice, teachings, character, mindsets, and threats of death.
This was the life he had to lead based on the Father's call and mission on earth.
This is the life we are called to lead in the Father's will on earth.
In this conflict to overcome the world, there is suffering. Jesus obediently moved through the suffering with the support of the Father. Through prayer and in a life of continual strengthening in thanksgiving and intercession, Jesus continuously overcame death and poured streams of living water into the world around him. He did that through prayer as a core abiding reality and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
In Spirit and truth, Jesus found all the strength and endurance to fulfill the Father's will on earth. This led to prayers full of tears, cries of intercession, and supplications to overcome death. It led to places of suffering as he confronted death at every turn. It led to intense prayer and cries for the Father's aid and strength, wisdom and insight.
Prayer is powerful. Prayer is the air of heavens victory in you and me.
Assumption 2
To know the Father the way Jesus does and to grow in eternal life, requires the same commitment to prayer Jesus demonstrated.
Listening is key to getting hold of the Father's will. Jesus spent morning after morning away in prayer. So much so the disciples finally caught on and asked, "Teach us to pray".
To walk in the Spirit, overcome the World and see the unseen, requires a consistent dedicated persistent walk in the presence of God and a life of prayer in faith (Hebrews 11:11-12).
To move mountains, hindrances, spiritual obstacles on the pathway to, "well done good and faithful servant", requires ever-increasing prayer and growth in the language and power of God's presence.
Paying without ceasing as I understand it, is continually abiding in the presence of God. Translating prayer into the wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit, all the time listening as we walk in those revealed steps, requires consistent and persistant prayer. Pouring out in service and love in the grace entrusted to us from Christ requires inspired, equipped, stout hearts in prevailing prayer. Such grace comes from Jesus' victory.
Gifts of overcoming power and love that he won for us are put in motion through the motions of prayer.
With his own blood, Jesus purchased for us abiding prayer; continuous and ever-expanding presence. Such grace empowers us in his victory. Prayer, listening, and writing lays the groundwork for a faith that activates this grace.
Prayer supports, under-girds, upholds, sustains, empowers, emboldens, encourages, so much more than we ask or think. Prayer empowers the grace we received. Mix it with faith and we are builders and co-laborers with Christ himself.
I keep saying United Prevailing Prayer changes everything.
So what is United Prevailing Prayer?
1. United -
Competition may be in American blood, its definitely in mine as a coach, but it's not in the blood of Christ. Every member is vital to the victory Jesus is bringing. Sons and Daughters must learn to exercise grace in faith and serve and love one another as Jesus did. He laid down his life for us and so we should lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. John 15:12-17; I John 3:16We have all kinds of activities that foster and promote the local church organization. Yet few of these offer partnership or co-laboring in unity with the wider churches or ministries around us.
For the ekklesia, which is called to ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE SPIRIT, we appear to have less generous working unity than the world does in business, non-profit work or simple neighborly love. Not good.
Jesus entrusted us with the most incredible insight into his prayer life in John 17. It gave us a window or picture of what and how he prays; his hopes and his victory on the Cross, in the Resurrection and as soon to be ascended, King empowered his prayer vision.
What he won for us, is how he prays for us.
Unity and love among us demonstrate to the world that he actually came (John 17:20-21). Real tangible love among the brothers is completely attainable if we position ourselves in Christ with his eyes for one another. John 17:20-21
Anything dividing us is a lie. Poor teaching and worldly ambitions turn us away from the power of love and service to the ekklesia of our city and region. Such ambitions? Such dividing elements? Are they for money and power? James 3:14-18
What is the grand vision we are upholding that puts no fuel on the fire of Jesus' prayer? That stokes no hearts for unified life together in the ONE LORD?
What essential thing are we retaining to not participate in the very heart vision and goal of the Lord Jesus himself?
Answer: The unity of his Body around the world.
Answer: The powerful testimony to the lost of the reality of his coming and salvation?
Disunity is a sin.
Short-sighted self-focused, it lacks a real desire to serve the deepest prayers of the Master.
2. Prevailing - "prove more powerful than opposing forces. be victorious." Oxford Dictionary.
Prevailing prayer proves our overcoming strength in Christ. This kind of prayer does not shrink back in the face of the need for a miracle. The impossible is expected to come along at any time. These impossibilities are gifts from God, stages to prove the Gospel of the Kingdom to the impossible. They regularly arrive when we set ourselves into the motions of grace and faith.
Everything is easy when we admire the thought of overcoming the world. When we are living in the reality and action of overcoming the world, we realize it cannot be done without prayer. (Ephesians 6:18-19)
The power of prayer mixed with patient endurance is a prevailing recipe.
Jesus paved this path- this Way. Let's follow him into joy. He traveled and travailed in prayer. Believing that through the cross he would overcome death and defeat it forever. And so he did.
To prevail in prayer is to hit head on the obstacles and hindrances that will surely come as we seek to do the Father's will in the world.
Prevailing prayer is the power that keeps on knocking, asking, seeking in the face of the impossible. The breakthrough of God's amazing news in Christ is found in prevailing prayer. Prevailing prayer is rooted and established in love, the most compelling and eternal reality in the universe. Prevailing prayer is the partner of HOPE. It puts hope in motion. Prevailing prayer is an act of faith. It cannot be done without faith. And so by nature, it abides in the realms that "please to God".
It is impossible to abide in prevailing prayer, without compelling, clear, actionable faith.
Prevailing prayer will overcome the doubt and momentum problems we face in winning the world to Christ. Prevailing prayer is walking in the Spirit by faith. Prevailing intercessory worship and prayer are the foundation of every family and ekklesia. Regions, cities, nations, advance in "every spiritual blessing in Christ" in prevailing and consistent prayer.
Standing on the promise and activating the power of continuous dialogue with God, is indispensable. As prayer is indispensable, prevailing prayer is equally indispensable for the Saints in the mission with God. Walking in the Spirit is walking in prevailing prayer both corporate and individual.
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| Flowers in Rocky Desert Soil |
3. Prayer -- in secret and corporately
Secret praying is the root and foundation of abiding and walking in the Spirit (Matthew 6:5-13). This Kingdom life cannot be done except for a vibrant and supporting intercessory prayer and worship filled life.
The secret place is indispensable to knowing and activating the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The Master was devoted to prayer. We are called to the same devotion. What appears weak is actually the greatest strength available to us. Prayer moves mountains. A mustard seed moves a mountain? We have much to learn about the power of prayer.
Prayer sustains the move of Christ in our hearts. Prayer covers and upholds the holiness and truth of the Gospel. Prayer opens the doors for the Gospel and removes the blinders of the enemy over groups of people.
We really should need no convincing, but the guts seem to have fallen out of the church's prayer life.
Corporate praying...
Prayed Peter out of prison. Corporate praying and worship busted Paul and Silas out of prison. Corporate prayer busted Peter out of prison, out of looming death. We need corporate, growing, intercessory worship and prayer to sustain and uphold the Saints. To walk consistently in forwarding motion, walking with endurance and patience in the Spirit with overcoming life, we need co-laboring prayer, corporate gatherings of prayer and intercession.
Prayer is the inexhaustible truth.
The air of heaven.
The vision that confronts the impossible.
United Prevailing Prayer is an indispensable weapon.
He is the offering. Once for all.
2019 - is Open Doors - Restored Paths - New Fiery heart
Transfiguration!
Look forward, eyes filled with Abundance, Boundless, Victorious vision in Jesus.
How's your 24?
How's your prayer walk?
Sowing into prayer is the greatest avenue for consistent joy in Jesus than any other thing out there.
Take a new step into the depths and riches of knowing Jesus. Pray.
Start today. 5 mins listening to or reading the Scripture and Psalm 27:14 wait for the Lord.
Grab some time and steal away with Jesus.
He is remarkable to be around.
You will tap into the grace of God.
The Father sent Jesus to restore us to him and he is longing to know us in Christ. (John 17:3)
1. 10 Keys to Praying with Power
http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/11/10-keys-to-praying-with-power-moving.html
2. 10 Keys to Sustaining Supernatural Life
http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/12/10-keys-to-sustaining-life-in.html
3. Why is the Prayer House Empty?
http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/11/why-is-prayer-house-empty-or-is-it.html
4. Intimacy with Jesus Beyond Religion?
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You can do this thing! He's got you.
Jeff Reynolds --- Global Kingdom Harvest Ministries
Brother Jeff
www.jeffreynoldsministies.comwww.jeffreynoldsministries.com
Love in the Lord
Jeff Reynolds
Global Kingdom Harvest Min.
www.GKHministries.comwww.gkhministries.com
jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com
Brother Jeff
Brother Jeff
www.jeffreynoldsministies.comwww.jeffreynoldsministries.com
Love in the Lord
Jeff Reynolds
Global Kingdom Harvest Min.
www.GKHministries.comwww.gkhministries.com
jeff@jeffreynoldsministries.com
Jeff Reynolds ---
Brother Jeff
www.jeffreynoldsministies.com
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